Ronald Hughes

Ronald D. Hughes, 95, passed away on Wednesday, March 1, 2017 at a local care center. Ronald was born in 1921, the third of 7 children to Dick and Sara Pratt-Hughes. He grew up on a flood irrigated sand farm in SE ID. As he grew his interest was never in sitting in a school building and at 14 he chose to work as a horse wrangler rather than finish school, but he loved to read, was self-taught and had a great intellect. He came to adulthood as World War II was looming. His patriotism led him and his lifelong friend, Mark Phillips, to join the Marines. They served three years on the Marshall & the Mariannes Islands. He completed duty with an honorable discharge and returned home where he married Bonnie Robbins-Baugher. They had 6 children together. Ronald was given the gift of saving a life after seeing so many taken. Their second child contracted whooping cough at ten days old and holding the baby in his palms he pushed breath into her lungs with his thumbs while racing to the Dr. He purchased the family farm but after two years of losses and some regrets, sold to a neighbor and followed his heart. After a stint as a Greyhound bus driver he committed himself to working for historical ranches; Miller Lux in OR, Moffit & Dangburg in NV, Gleed Bros in MT, and others through the interior west. When he heard of a new landscape, he found a riding job and explored it with his family in tow. His spiritual comfort was in the landscape & he taught his children to respect/revere it. His greatest love was horses, and he devoted his working life to working with and training them, taking courses through the years to improve his ability. He was skilled enough to make a wild horse, within a couple of hours, his friend and working partner. He lived by the "Golden Rule" of "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." He often came home telling of a simple "good deed for the day". He may have picked up a hitchhiker and bought him a meal or changed a flat tire for someone or mended a neighbors fence. He and Bonnie had a tempestuous relationship and welcomed a divorce. He later married Barbara Steffler Ramey and considered that one of his best life choices. They finished raising his youngest three children. They moved an old home from Blackfoot onto country acreage and turned it into a comfortable and inviting home. Barbara shared the joy and peace of hearth, home and family and he settled to enjoy what they created together. His youngest daughter gifted him his first computer when he was in his 70s and that became his window to the world. He was grateful to live in America and championed its freedoms. He was honored to speak on the floor of our nations senate in favor of wolf reintroduction. He wrote many letters to the editors of our local papers and to his state and national representatives. He felt all citizens of this country should respect their freedoms enough to practice them through involvement in their government. In his 90s he often shared things he had found on Youtube. He was a hardworking man, always embraced new learning, and never let grass grow under his feet. He is survived by Chuck (Carol) Hughes, Charlotte (Rich) Reid, James (Kim) Hughes, Ron, (Bonnie) Hughes, Patrick Hughes, Kate Hughes; 8 grandchildren; and 11 great- grandchildren. He was preceded in death by six siblings; his wives, Bonnie Hughes and Barbara Hughes; two granddaughters, Danielle Hughes Wyziski and Shannon Hughes Clark. There will be no services held at this time and the family will have a celebration of life later in the spring.